A
Lughnasadh Miscellany Facts of the Feast by Searles
O'Dubhain Lughnasadh
was the time of the first harvest and a time of games, competitions,
initiations and arbitration. It was and is associated with the Goddess
of Sovereignty. The God Lugh was said to have originated this festival
to celebrate the efforts of his foster mother Tailtiu to clear the fields
of Ireland for planting. Lughnasadh marked the beginning of the harvests,
though perhaps it also marked the ending of the hay harvest. It was
a festival that could last two weeks! Among its activities, couples
could enter into a "trial marriage" known as a "Brehon wedding."
The two would clasp hands and thrust them through a circular opening
in a special stone, while announcing to the Brehons -- judges and lawyers
-- that they intended to live together for a trial period of one year,
after which the marriage would be formalized. Either party could break
the marriage by a public announcement during the feast of Bealtaine
in the Spring.The Many Wives of LughThough
the festival was originally held by Lugh to commemorate the death and
achievements of his foster mother, Tailtiu, there were other women in
his life. These were his mother Ethlinn, daughter of Balor, and Birog,
the Druidress who enabled his father Cian to woo his mother via a magical
fog, much as Merlin did in the film "Excalibur". There was also Bua,
or Bui, who was known as the Cailleach Bheara, who lived through seven
periods of youth and is buried in the brugh of Cnogba (Knowth). Lugh
was married to her sister, Nás, as well, these two being known as the
daughters of Ruadri. Other wives were named Echtach, daughter of Daig,
Englecc, daughter of Elcmar, and Buach, daughter of Daire Donn. Lugh
was also the father of Cú Chulainn by Dectaire. Having all these wives
at once may not have been unusual at that time, since there were ten
different types of marriage available, ranging from marriage of a few
nights, to marriage of a year and a day, or forever.

Bron
TrograinLughnasadh
was celebrated from the last days of July through the first days of
August, though nowadays it is considered to be on the first day of August.
This period is listed in the Celtic/Gaulish Coligny calendar as "Equos"
-- "Echrais" in Old Irish means "horse race" or "horse-time"
-- and "Elembiuos" or "claim-time" (in Old Irish, the word
ellam refers to the "bride price" paid to the father of the bride by
the bridegroom). It was dedicated to Lugh Samildánach and his foster-mother
Tailtu. It was also the Celebration of the Harvest, the great horse
fair of Ireland, and a major festival throughout the Celtic world. It
was the time of settling legal and clan matters the time for the choosing
of the King, a time of games and competitions. Lughnasadh is the time
when the "Dark One" (Crom Dubh) yields his harvest from out of the Earth,
which is why the first Sunday of August is also known as "Domnach
Chrom Dubh."
Sometimes Lughnasadh is called "Bron Trograin," "the Sorrows
of Bron". It is thought that "Bron" refers to Bran, which is another
name for Lugh's totemic animal, the Raven. Trogan or Trogain was an
even earlier name for the festival held during this time. I personally
think it means the "Earth Festival at Sunrise" since "trogain"
refers to sunrise and "bron" refers to the raven or earth.

Symbols of LughnasadhThe
symbols of Lughnasadh include the Horse, the Eagle, the Raven, the Stone,
the Land, and the Sheaf.
Meaning of LughnasadhThis
is the Moon of Arbitration according to the Coligny Calendar. This is
the time of reckoning, of judgement and of arbitration, as well as initiation
and the celebration of the Fields and Bounty. These are borne out by
the tasks carried out during the festival: choosing the kin, judgements
and reconings, Brehon marriages, etc.

Lughnasadh CustomsThis
festival celebrates many different events in the Celtic year. It celebrates
the wheat harvest and as such the last sheaf of wheat that is harvested
from the field is sometimes made into a doll, sometimes called the Cailleach,
in a similar fashion to the one made at Imbolc, which is called a Brideog.
This wheat straw doll is given the position of prominence in the house,
sometimes being placed on the mantel and at other times being placed
on or above the dining table. It can even be returned to the soil and
buried as a magical offering to promote the future harvest.
No harsh words were allowed between wives and husbands at this time.
The levying or collecting of debts was also not allowed during Lughnasadh.

The Horse Fair: Lughnasadh
is also a great Irish horse fair. Many horses are traded and raced at
this time. If the festival was near water then the horses were raced
along the shore and through water. Horses were also purified by taking
them into the waters. The
Games: Hurley, Irish football, footraces, horseraces, sword dancing,
and storytelling all took place at the Lughnasadh festival. The games
at Tailteann were considered to be the Irish Olympics and were held
every year until 1169 CE, the year the first English invaders came to
Ireland during the reign of the High King Roderick O'Connor. The
Banais Rigi: In this Wedding Feast of Kingship, there is the rite
of the marriage of the king to the Goddess of Sovereignty. The fate
of the king and the land were bound together. If the king was good then
the land prospered. Under a bad king such as Bres, the land would be
barren. Nowadays, the festival of Lughnasadh is associated with the
Sacral Kingship. In olden days, this ritual was conducted at the Feast
of Tara. Many different ritual acts and tests were held to choose a
king. The Lia Fal would give a loud cry when touched by the rightful
king. Sometimes other objects such as the royal chariot or the royal
mantle would be used to identify the rightful king.
If none of these tests proved successful
in selecting a king, then the Tarbh Feiss was preformed. This ritual
was a Druidic rite that involved the sacrifice of a sacred bull and
the consumption of its flesh and broth by a Druid. The dreaming druid
would sleep within a circle of chanting druids until he saw the face
of the rightful king. Once a king had been selected, he was initiated
into a marriage with the land by ritually mating with the Goddess of
Sovereignty. This mating could have involved an actual mating with a
woman, a symbolic mating with a totemic representation of Sovereignty
such as a horse, or it could have been an actual shamanic ritual involving
the Goddess of Sovereignty. Ritual bathing and feasting was also involved.
Perhaps the garlanding with flowers that occurred at this time of the
largest pillar stones at Rannach Chrom Dubh (near Lough Gur) symbolized
this marriage. Judgements:
In addition to Brehon Marriages, at least one day was set aside for
rendering judgements and for resolving disputes. This was done by the
Brehons according to the Brehon Law, as set down in the Senchus Mor.
Brehon Marriages: These are commonly
thought to be marriages that last for a year and a day. The ancients
were much more sensible than we are today. They believed that trial
marriages, such as a Brehon marriage, should precede a more lasting
union. There are actually 10 degrees of marriage. If at the end of a
year and a day the couple was unhappy, either could dissolve the marriage
by publicly announcing it and walking away. Likewise, the marriage could
be renewed for another year and a day. A Brehon Marriage was probably
a marriage of a 4th degree according to the old laws. Initiations:
Since this was a time of competitions, both athletic and poetic, it
is to be expected that many young warriors, Druids, Filidh, and others
would be initiated into the next rank of their order at this time. Many
times the competitions WERE the initiations.

You can find more information on Lughnasadh in the Summerlands
Library,
or on the members' message boardat Aonach
Ceilteach.

Nominations
Wanted
for the
First Annual
Scorched Oatcake AwardsScoaties will be awarded toMembers
of the
Celtic Community,
Pagan or Non-Pagan,
who show
in word and deed
that they would
serve best
from the bottom
of a bog.

Deadline for nominations is
August 31, 2000.
Awards to be announced
in the
SummerSun
Samhain 2000 edition.
Send your nominations to:The Editor

/|\

A
Place to Breatheby Treva, Women's
LodgeThe
kids are screaming, the dog just tracked mud across your clean floor,
the washer's overflowing, and the phone ringing. Can you relate? It's
one of those classic moments when you just need a place to go where
you can breathe, take your time about things, and find kindred souls
who understand. That's why Women's Lodge is here. With such a diversity
of ladies here, all areas are covered.
Our monthly chats cover a wide variety
of topics, from kitchen-based skincare to how the three faces of the
Goddess affects our lives. As hostess of the Women's Lodge, I would
have to say that our greatest asset is the cumulative knowledge, broad
shoulders and wonderful listening abilities of the women that are here.
BTW, did I mention the "No Men allowed"
rule? Well, we have that, too. So come and breathe in totally testorone
free air. We'd love to have you join us.

/|\

Brugh
of the Star River
Survey
still available below!
Please help
shape space!
/|\

Name
Email

Interests:
Neolithic Period
Very Early Celtic
Later Period Celtic
Current Astronomy
Lunar Calendars
Standing Stones
Passage Graves
Myths & Folklore

Locations:

Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Cornwall
Brittany
Any Celtic Land
Other European
Native American, North
Native American, South
African/Egyptian
Asian

StarDial Questions:

Do you read/use
it?
Often
Sometimes
Never

Besides having
it appear by the first of each month (ahem), what other changes or
additions would you like to see?

I would like it to contain a list of prominent constellations and
their locations during early night for any given month.

I have a strong urge to know about the non-visible planets -- ie,
their involvements in conjunctions, occultations, etc.

Will
Pagans Make the World a Better Place?by 1x2 Willows,
EuroCeltsEschatology:
- Visions of the future from both the dimensions of the individual and
society. It can be understood as an extrapolation into the future of
convictions about the present cosmic order. Of relating to, dealing
with, or with regards to the ultimate destiny of mankind and the world.
Includes both myths of cyclical return such as found in Hinduism and
the more known end-of-time myths taken from Judaism and Christianity.

Fact 1 On certain occasions in the past, my friends and I needed
to come up with a nice, clean cow's skull for one weird project or another.
So what does a country boy do in that case? Go to the local slaughter
house, of course, and get one of them real yucky thangs fresh from today's
badge (you don't really want 'em older than a day for certain reasons)
and take it home with you. [I asked you not to laugh] So there it sits
in your living room and if you're real lucky, it even stares
at you with decomposing eyeballs and all - a sight you want to avoid
if you not have had dinner that day. Come to think of it - even if,
or better... more so, if you did... Anyway - I know some of you folks
out there are more used to big apples, oranges and other manifestations
of life in the 21st century, but here's what a Tater Picker does: Take it to the nearest anthill,
of course. Leave it right there for two, three days or longer - depending
on the ant species and population - and forget it for that period. You
could care less than going back every 5 hours or so to check on the
progress. Done that at a tender age and lemme' tell ya' - it will
not be of any interest to your appetite for the rest of those days
either. Well - now - whaddaya' get by all this in the end? Riiiiiiiight
- a nice and clean, bright white skull with hardly anything left on
there that's worth mentioning or your sweetheart wouldn't approve of
anymore.
Ladies? - you still here?
Laaaadies...aaadies.....aadies...adies...
... .. . ?
Guess not...

Fact 2 As I type here, I've got
something going that some remote, disconnect-ed and imbecilic 'civilians'
might call an "ant plague" on my desk and a Pavlovian habit of black
flags raiding them off comes to mind. Cheer up! What it is, really,
is the fact that these neat lil' guys have found a treasure of their
own which seems to be buried at the bottom of the cracks and crevices
between the keys of my keyboard. Amazes me every other minute just what
kind of crap my friends here [oops - just squished one on the 'e' key
-- that'll teach him not to use the fast lane] are transporting out
of my here device to take home as food for the kids. Absolutely admirable!
What the proverbial *&^%$#@! do I care, as long as they're not messing
with the data on my Zip disk or with my sweetheart's negligée? All right...sorry...her
Zip disk, too. I DON'T! And if there's any other reason that I don't
want them where they can get to - well - it's just my darn human responsibility
to make sure they can't get there, right? What was silicone putty invented
for, if not to keep water or ants or any other fluids in or out? For
cryin' out loud - they don't know any different (and I'm not
even saying 'better' here, notice?)!

Can we learn a lesson from that or what?
Of course not, unless we look ahead and have visions! Visions of a future
that'll blow the minds of our grandchildren, visions of grandeur, visions
of...visions of...visions of a mountain. An anthill as big as
Mount Shasta! A huuuuge anthill and the keyboards of human civilization
laying at its feet to be cleansed of the wrongdoings to PC parts worldwide!
All the Pizza - all the Crackers and Burgers - all the (oooh I won't
take into my mouth what other people would not even take into their
hand) STUFF! that we dispose of involuntarily into the WIDE OPEN SPACESOF
MOTHER NATURE'S CYCLE - or - okay - even just in our $15 keyboards...
okay...you're right...I'll chill...it's
okay...well...
yeah...

***This satire
is inspired by the author's [and now I am really serious...]
conviction that our future will have to incorporate a lot more single
problems into one solution in order to maintain the pleasure of modern
amenities and standards without poisoning the whole *&^%$#@! planet
or messing it up even further in any other way.***

/|\

/|\

Baking
at Lughnasadhby Deborah,
Kitchen
Witch InnAhhhh
... the first harvest is in, the berries are ripe and sweet and the
clans are gathering for the annual fairs. Horse trading, Brehon adjudicating,
inter- and intra-clan matchmaking , strong sweaty young men competing
in the games and wonderful Celtic women cooking up a storm. Life is
goooood.
At this time of year there are several
things that spring to mind that definitely belong on any good kitchen
witch's (Celtic or otherwise) table -- fresh bread (preferably wheat),
berry pies and fresh fruit, buttered ears of corn and wondrous meads
of all kinds of fruit and honey flavorings.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and the
ideas below. May you feast long and well and in the company of your
fine, your derbfine and all the friends of your heart. Thanks to the
Goddess and the God for Their Bounty.

WHEAT BREAD
ON THE ALTAR
To me, nothing says abundance and fertility of the earth quite like
bread. It's aroma and taste are a joy and a comfort and should be
treated with due appreciation and enjoyment. There are many techniques
for breadcraft, which I will be discussing this next few weeks over
in the Kitchen Witch Inn, but the one I prefer for the table is a
simple harvest wheat loaf. Presentation counts, and I've always been
fond of serving it on a bed of wheat heads with red raspberries placed
around for color. Make sure the wheatheads are going around the plate
in a clockwise manner -- like setting the bread in the middle of a
wheat wreath. When done with a round loaf it looks like the sun. If
you have a gold charger to serve it on, all the better. (Note: Make
sure your wheat heads are clean and mold/mildew free!)
There are some wonderful rising bowls
that have a spiral design on them that will stay with the loaf throughout
the baking process, if you like. Of you can shape a simple football/oblong
loaf with a center split, representing the fertility of the body of
the Goddess.
When baking (or any kind of cooking
or crafting really), be sure to take time to center and shift into
a good space. It's important to remember that what you think and feel
you put into your cooking/crafting, so since this is a harvest celebration
send prayers of gratitude for what has been given and prayers for
continued abundance.
In Ireland they have something called
Fraughans. Apparently these are wonderful intensely flavored wild
blueberries. They were traditionally picked at Lughnasadh and eaten
with sugar and/or cream or made into pies, tarts and jams. If you
have Fraughans, more power to you. If you're over here in America,
head for the nearest farmer's market and get the biggest blueberries,
blackberries and raspberries that you can find. There are all kinds
of things to do with them. If nothing else, serve them fresh over
vanilla ice cream or in a chilled bowl topped off by real whipped
cream (none of that store-bought stuff). Here's a recipe for a wonderful
berry pie.

Combine sugar, flour, lemon zest and salt. Add berries, tossing to
thoroughly coat fruit. Pour mixture into a pie crust, drizzle with
lemon juice and dab with butter. Place top crust over pie; seal and
flute edges. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake for 20 minutes at 375
degrees. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes. Cool on a wire
rack.

This recipe is from the book "Celtic Folklore Cooking" by Joanne Asala
(ISBN 1-56718-044-2. I highly recommend purchasing it. It has all
manner of wonderful recipes and a great amount of folklore and old
Celtic sayings that will both educate and amuse you. Definitely a
must-have book for your collection. Check it out at the Rowan Leaf
bookstore here at the Summerlands!

NECTAR OF THE GODS -- MEAD!
I have been given the email address
for a wonderful meadmaker in the NE part of the USA. He sells his
art by the 'cork' and it's fame is spreading rapidly. If you would
like a catalog/pricelist, please email griffinmead@hotmail.com.
If you're lucky, you'll be blessed with the nectar of the Gods for
your feasts now and in the future. Since this is Lughnasadh, be sure
to check out his berry meads.
BTW ... Searles says I should remember
'wildflower garlands.' Anytime is a good time for wildflower
garlands. So while you're out scouring the country for wild blueberries,
fraughans, raspberries, blackberries or whatever else catches your
fancy, don't forget to gather a few of the flowers of the field so
that they may celebrate with you and you with them.
May you have a joyous and abundant
Lughnasadh! Beannacht Leat!!